Officer vacancies

June 20th, 2013, 11:10 AM

So at the ripe old age of 39, I'm pursuing a path as a NG officer. With my prior service, the age thing works out and aside from being a fat boy (at the moment) I'm in pretty good health. So no issues other than continuing my PT until I get where I need to be (hopefully within another month'ish). So I know (at least I think) that if I get in and if I get commissioned, my branch will be dependent upon the needs of the state. I've searched for current 0-level vacancies by state and I'm coming up empty. I found the tool on the NG page that shows the enlisted jobs by state but I can't find anything for the officer side. Is there a site that shows officer needs by state? Reason I'm asking-I'm in MD and my proximity to DC, VA, PA, WV, and DE make it possible for me to travel to all of those states for drill. So if my state only needs officers in a branch that I'm not interested in but a neighboring state has vacancies in a branch I want...so you see where I'm going.
Any advice/guidance is greatly appreciated.

Comment

Thanks for the reply, sir. So would you advise just contacting the OSM offices of all states that I could reasonably commute to and ask about needs?
Thanks again for any/all guidance.

You can try the shotgun approach, but at the end of the day "most" states don't just give you a choice on branch. You end up kind of at the needs of the state through OCS more often than not, and this is largely because most states won't tie up a slot for someone when they may or may not make it through the roughly 2 year Traditional OCS program.

I think a better approach would be to do as much research you can on what kind of units those states have available and that will largely drive what Branches are available.

Comment

You can try the shotgun approach, but at the end of the day "most" states don't just give you a choice on branch. You end up kind of at the needs of the state through OCS more often than not, and this is largely because most states won't tie up a slot for someone when they may or may not make it through the roughly 2 year Traditional OCS program.

I think a better approach would be to do as much research you can on what kind of units those states have available and that will largely drive what Branches are available.

Comment

Just keep in mind, you won't commission for 1-2 years down the road and those officer vacancies may not be there or vacant in a different unit/branch.

Excellent point sir. I keep operating under the assumption that I will go accelerated but I know that isn't my decision to make. I guess I would still be interested in knowing what types of units are in my commutable area and what types of vacancies generally arise. I'm going to try to carve out some time this weekend to research this-just for my own info. Ultimately I realize it will be state's needs. A friend who is a E-7 in his state's NG say's that it doesn't matter because after I'm commissioned, if I don't like what my state (MD) has available, I can simply IST to a neighboring state that has something I do want. But it seems to me if I start this process with MD and MD picks up the tab for my training, they would likely be none too quick to IST me off to another state. Maybe my assumption is incorrect?
Finally, an active duty friend who is an 0-4 said that once you hit 0-3 (on AD at least) you can choose a CCC for a different branch. But he doesn't know if that's the case in the NG. Anyone have any solid facts on this?
Once again, I sincerely appreciate everyone's time and advice.

Comment

Finally, an active duty friend who is an 0-4 said that once you hit 0-3 (on AD at least) you can choose a CCC for a different branch. But he doesn't know if that's the case in the NG. Anyone have any solid facts on this?
Once again, I sincerely appreciate everyone's time and advice.

Yes, depending on the needs of the state. I know people who were FA but switched to SC and went for the SC CCC.

Comment

It is not uncommon in the NG for officers to have multiple branch qualifications. Sometimes you just have to do that to move around within your state. Most NG officers I know that are beyond CPT have at least 2.

Comment

Yes, depending on the needs of the state. I know people who were FA but switched to SC and went for the SC CCC.

Needs of the state...that makes sense. I guess I'm not terribly concerned about branch but rather curious about what's available. From my limited knowledge about the O side of the house-an officer's branch assignment isn't completely indicative of what he/she does on the job. So while I may have no interest in being a chemical officer, I know that if I'm branched chemical it doesn't neccesarily mean I'm doing chemistry experiments all day. But still-if a branch I'm interested in is available in a neighboring state, I would prefer that.

As always, I appreciate the guidance and advice from everyone.

P.S....I wonder if anyone knows anything about the Direct Commission process? Reason I ask-my E-7 friend I spoke of earlier made a comment about seeking a Direct Commission in the NG. I work in Transportation and have quite a bit of experience. In addition to experience, I have a lot of the training that the 88Ns and Mobility Warrant Officers have to have (Highway Regulation, TC-AIMSII, Mode Manager, Convoy Planning, etc) all through the Army (I was trained as a civ for a contracting job). My buddy suggested looking into direct commission. Don't get me wrong-I'm not looking for what I perceive to be an easy path to the O ranks. But he suggested it as I have experience, training, a curent TS Clearance, a MS degree...etc. He said that even though one has to "walk on water" for a direct commission in the NG (his words), it couldn't hurt to try. If anyone wants to weigh in on that, I would greatly appreciate any advice or comments.

Comment

If it not a direct commission to a specialty branch; I highly doubt it. What was the last rank you left the Army with?

I was always under the assumption that direct commission was reserved for medical, attorneys, etc. But my friend said there are DC paths for basic branch as well. I was only in for three years. Got out as E-4. As I said, I'm not looking for a DC but if it is available, I feel like I should explore every option.

Thanks for your input.

Comment

I do recall someone I met years ago who DC into a basic branch but it was due to a shortage that required immediate filling and yet it was a deliberate and arduous process. The candidate gets thoroughly vetted. You will have to inquire with the State's OSM for details.